WRAL celebrated 60 years of broadcasting on December 15, 2016. In recognition of that anniversary, Scott Mason – better known as The Tar Heel Traveler – took viewers on a time travel, via black and white film footage, to witness several news events covered by WRAL during the early years.

A few of the highlights include President John F. Kennedy’s visit to the campus of UNC to WRAL News Director Bill Armstrong’s interview with NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong while he was training at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill. Meet Marlene Carole, WRAL’s first female weatherperson who used a chalkboard to write the high and low temperatures – with an eye-wink. Later we see WRAL transition to color and then lead the nation in HD technology.

More Highlights for Scott Mason

WRAL-TV’s Tar Heel Traveler Scott Mason features WRAL-TV on his latest installment, in honor of an important anniversary for the Big 5. Dec. 15, 2016, marks 60 years since WRAL-TV first signed on the air. Check out more from about

WRAL reporter Scott Mason takes us back to 1961 and 1962 when demonstrators held peaceful protests in Raleigh on two very different subjects.

In 1961, black people were not permitted to eat at Howard Johnson restaurant on Capitol Boulevard in Raleigh. A peaceful protest was held and the outcome was a change in the law.

In 1962, another protest demonstration was held in Raleigh when when NC State College expanded its graduate school offerings. The college wanted to change its name to NC State University. The UNC Consolidated System, which governs all state-supported schools in the state, rejected that name and told the school that it had to change its name to UNC-Raleigh. The name became NC State University.

WRAL-TV led the nation in the development of High Definition broadcasting. On October 13, 2000 WRAL made history by broadcasting the entire 5:00 PM newscast LIVE in HD from the State Fair. The historic newscast was broadcast from a special stage at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. The broadcast came just days after WRAL announced it was purchasing equipment from Panasonic to allow the station to gather all of its news stories in the 1080i format. WRAL was the first in the country to convert its entire news operation into HD. This video documents the historic moment from a behind-the-scenes perspective.

In 1996, WRAL was the first station in the nation to start broadcasting in HD even though most viewers did not have an HD television set.

WRAL-TV Tar Heel Traveler Scott Mason has a tough job. He spends part of his working life chowing down in the best, sometimes hidden, North Carolina eateries. At least he’s kind enough to share. Mason’s next Tar Heel Traveler special,

The Lumbees are the largest Native American tribe not fully recognized by the US government. Host David Crabtree and the WRAL Documentary unit examine Lumbee history, heritage and their fight for recognition. Originally aired November 23, 1997.

Related Highlights

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